[S]ome are taking a second gamble with their lives by jumping on freight trains to get to destinations such as Germany.

Between July and mid-September, more than 200 people were found on such trains.

In comparison, there were hardly any such stowaways in 2016, and only around 20 cases in the first half of this year.

Police say the new route arose after Schengen countries reimposed border controls in the wake of the 2015 migrant crisis.

Asked why they were risking their lives again, the stowaways said that they were desperate to leave Italy as they didn't feel welcome, or because they wanted to make money or learn a trade.

Others said they want to rejoin their families who are already in Germany, [Raubling police spokesman Rainer] Scharf said.

"But it's still extremely dangerous," he stressed.

Particularly exposed to the elements on a spine car, which appears to be the carriage of choice.

To travel undetected, the migrants lie in the small gap between the goods container and the flat-bed of the train carriage, remaining immobile for hours.

"A wrongly calculated move could result in them falling on the rails while the train is running at full speed. And that's not even taking into account the fact that the trains travel through the mountains where it can be very cold, even in the summer," said a policewoman.

Perhaps, though, there aren't many box cars or auto racks running on the migrant routes. (Yes, U.S. authorities are aware of these things. The end doors of auto racks are locked to protect against stowaways seeing the U.S.A. in somebody else's Chevrolet.)